Enzo carried him up the stairs, past his bed into his bathroom, depositing him on the sink before walking to hisoversized, rarely-touched bathtub. He turned the water on, waiting for the right temperature, before making sure the drain plug was down.
When he walked back to Seven, the younger boy said, “What are we doing?”
Enzo pulled Seven’s sweater off, dropping it into the hamper, then went for the buttons on the shirt below it. “I’m giving you a bath.”
“Givingme a bath? Like a toddler?” Seven asked.
Enzo chuckled, pushing his shirt down his shoulders, taking a minute to drink him in. “Well, the only bath toys I have are of the adult variety, but I might be able to scrounge up a rubber duck or two if it will make my baby feel better?” he teased gently.
“You don’t have to give me a bath. I’m an adult,” Seven protested, the tips of his ears practically glowing in his embarrassment.
“You just said you don’t want to adult right now. So, I’ll do the hard stuff. You just do as you’re told.”
Seven sighed, remaining pliant as Enzo slid down his pants and underwear, thoughts of roadkill and naked grandmas filling his head to keep from getting hard just looking at him.
Enzo tested the bath water once again, then made Seven do the same. “Is it too hot?”
Seven shook his head, then seemed to remember himself, meeting Enzo’s gaze. “No, Daddy.” His cock twitched at how casually the honorific slipped free. But then Seven seemed to catch himself. “Sorry.”
Enzo frowned in confusion. “For what?” Seven flushed, and it dawned on Enzo what he meant. “I told you, you can call me Daddy if you want to. You could have been calling me that for months. I’ve just been waiting on you to trust me enough. I’m sorry. I should have been clearer with you.”
Seven stepped into the tub, then lowered himself into the water. Enzo grabbed a cloth and his body wash, pouring some onto the material and watching it lather. “You smelling like me is going to make me crazy,” he murmured, running the wet, soapy rag over the muscular plains of Seven’s chest and shoulders, his eyes trailing to just below the waterline when the cloth did. “Just so you know.”
The barest hint of a smile pulled at Seven’s lips, but disappeared just as quickly when he seemed to remember the day they’d had. When Enzo wet Seven’s hair to wash it, he was surprised to see it start to curl almost immediately. “Your hair’s getting so long.”
“I should shave it again,” Seven said, eyes rolling with pleasure as Enzo’s fingers massaged shampoo through the dark brown tresses. “It gets wild when I grow it out.”
“I bet you look hot,” Enzo murmured, tapping his chin softly to remind him to tip his head so he could rinse the shampoo out.
Seven scoffed, voice dripping with confidence as he said, “I always look hot.”
Enzo grinned. “Yeah, you do.”
When Enzo grabbed the conditioner, Seven immediately let his eyes fall shut in anticipation of Enzo’s fingers back in his hair. Enzo just…stared. He had thick brows and long sooty lashes surrounding those pretty, seaglass eyes. Enzo couldn’t wait to see them looking up at him again.
But sometimes, like right now, Seven looked painfully young. From some angles, he had a sharp jawline and high cheekbones; from another, he was all soft, chubby baby cheeks and wide eyes that were far too innocent for a killer.
Enzo took his time, enjoying the happy little sighs Seven gave every time he touched him just right. When he finished his hair, he dropped the rag and began to dig his thumbs into the tense muscles of his shoulders. That was a mistake. Almostimmediately, Seven began to moan in a way that had Enzo praying to every saint he could think of to please get him through this. Who was the patron saint of horniness again?
It wasn’t Enzo’s fault. Seven was in his home, in his space, using his things… This was what he’d wanted for months. It was making him more than a little worked up.
But now that Enzo had him there…how did he make him want to stay?
When the water started to cool, Enzo pulled the plug, then helped Seven stand, burritoing him in his fluffiest towel. He walked him into the bedroom, arms around him from behind, keeping the younger boy’s arms trapped within until he could have him sit on the edge of the bed.
Enzo went to his bottom drawer where he kept all his oldest shirts, grabbing the gray one with the navy writing that was fading in some places. He also snagged a pair of boxers, though they’d probably sit a little low. Enzo helped him dress, smiling when Seven pulled the shirt away from him to read it upside-down.
“Of course, you’d be a member of theOrder of the Barristers. Nepo baby,” Seven teased.
“Uh, my mom got you your current job, too. So, welcome to the crib, fellow nepo baby.”
“That’s not nepotism, that’s networking,” Seven countered, giving his first genuine smile in a while.
Enzo toweled off Seven’s hair, then grinned when it stood up all over the place, attempting to finger comb it into some semblance of a style. “I’m gonna take a super quick shower and then order us dinner. Is there anything you’re craving?”
Seven’s eyes lit up, but then his face fell. “Anything’s fine.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Enzo said, taking on a slightly more stern tone. Seven’s gaze snapped to his. It was so clear howmuch he liked Enzo’s “Daddy” voice. “Tell me what came to your mind that got you so excited. Was it me?”
